2022 CAMDEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
Morgan Talty returns home to a place that he believes to be haunted, but by what, he’s not entirely sure. He tells us about strange occurrences from his childhood, and the times that they tried to find their missing BELONGINGS after they were taken by vindictive spirits. As Morgan navigates the haunting narrative of his past, he will come to realize that there is more information available to him that he originally believed. Take this journey through Morgan’s past with him, it’s eerie and beautiful.
The use of sound is what ultimately makes BELONGINGS so entertaining and successful. Whether it's running water, tapping from Morgan’s past, or something else entirely, it all plays a role in moving Morgan’s story forward, drawing in viewers, and keeping them entertained throughout. The sound present throughout BELONGINGS exacerbates the tone and the mood of each and every instance–and that allows viewers to become immersed in Morgan’s story of oddities and haunts. Furthermore, the score plays a pivotal role in how viewers receive the information presented in this documentary. The score and the general sound of BELONGINGS brings intense levels of comedy, eeriness, and genuine entertainment to life, and everything is bigger and better as a result.
Regardless of the fact that Talty is forced to act a bit in this documentary, it seems that his natural ability to demand an audience is what shines through the brightest throughout his time on screen. His voice is enthralling, magical even–and his voice transcends every single viewer, making the content of BELONGINGS feel even bigger and better than it could have if someone else had expressed these things. His voice is calming, it’s easily understood, and it makes it clear that he is a genuine person. He does all the right things while recapping his experiences.
BELONGINGS blurs the lines between comedy and drama, creating something vivid and full of meaning. I don’t believe in ghosts, or spirits at all in the sense that they come back from the other side or haven’t yet made their way to the other side. For viewers like me BELONGINGS has the potential to be incredibly difficult to appreciate–because much of what is said seems like nonsense to nonbelievers. What Talty and Director Alex Coppola do, however, is blend the seriousness of what Morgan says with comedy. This comedy acts as a bond between content and viewer, regardless of their stance on the subject matter.
Talty and Coppola do everything right in this short documentary. They do everything right to gain the attention of a wide-ranging audience, they do everything right to instill bits of fear in their viewers, and they do everything to present this story to audiences in a compelling way. BELONGINGS is something that has the potential to be inviting to everyone, and it does such a wonderful job of incorporating so many beautiful aspects of cinema that it continues to be far-reaching from beginning to end. BELONGINGS is an engaging film from its opening moment until Morgan’s final words.
Directed by Alex Coppola.
Starring Morgan Talty.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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